Tag: free speech

Special Snowflake Sharona took on the issue of why having a seat at the table matters and why hate speech isn’t and shouldn’t be protected, endorsed or sheltered. We live in the gotta hear both sides generation where memes entirely separate from reality inform policies at high levels in the White House.

Conservatives also want to listen to your "free speech" talking points on why you should beat your wife and abuse your children.

I tweeted the above before news of the cancellation of a certain book by Simon & Schuster over pedophilia comments from one of its writers. Well now we know I was only half true. It seems conservatives are perfectly fine with hate speech, antisemitism, prejudice and misogyny but draw the line at child molestation. The notion that speech with these messages deserve a seat at the table is illustrative of what values certain companies and brands carry.

In our second segment we discussed the “Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis” documentary concerning the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. Are we ever going to come together as people and as humans? The things that bond and divide us are more important to me than ever before, and hopefully today’s podcast did justice to discussing these questions.

When something indescribably and horrifically bad happens to you, and you survive it, it changes you. It becomes important to you that your message about those things is done the right way. Which is why I had such a profound reaction to the documentary. Empathy and understanding is crucial to helping address and answer them.

Fear and loathing on the internet is at an all time high. We seem to living in a “hive mind” generation where clicks and likes matter more than empathy and compassion. We are living in a time when people want to identify as <insert label> instead of as human beings with similar needs/wants/desires.

What binds us is far more powerful and strong than what divides us but one must be willing to operate not only with an open mind but with an open heart. Do we engage with someone we disagree with in a constructive way? If we disagree, and the debate gets heated, do we follow up with that person and accept our differences in a positive manner? There is no shame in an agree to disagree mindset.